T20 World Cup

Can Tigers bring sunlight in overcast Hobart against Dutch?

Online Desk

Online Desk
প্রকাশের তারিখ: 20:46 রবিবার, 23 অক্টোবর, 2022

|| CF DESK ||

As Bangladesh prepares to face the Netherlands in the first round of their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, a forecast of heavy rain threatens to derail their clash.

Bangladesh's performance in the past seven T20 World Cups demonstrates their troubles in this format, as they only managed one group stage win - against the West Indies in 2007.

Bangladesh have huge potential to start their T20 World Cup campaign on a high note because, on paper, they are considerably stronger than the Netherlands.

However, due to heavy rain, neither Bangladesh nor the Netherlands were able to use their respective practice sessions properly at Bellerive Oval, Hobart and the same could happen during the match.

Bangladesh has played 43 matches in the last two years, winning only 15 of them. Their most recent victories came in a two-match series against the UAE.

Ahead of the main event, Bangladesh played a warm-up match against Afghanistan and they suffered a similar fate - a defeat without offering any kind of effective resistance.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed Sridharan Sriram as T20 consultant just a few weeks before the T20 World Cup. The former Indian cricketer has tried out for the team in the Asia Cup and the Tri-Series in New Zealand.

After considerable experimentation, Sridharan and the team management added Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam, who were technically drafted as standby players, to the World Cup roster, replacing underperforming Sabbir Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin.

One of the biggest uncertainties surrounding Bangladesh's recent T20I performances is which combination of batters will start the batting in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup's Super 12 stage games.

Bangladesh's top-order batter include Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, and Soumya Sarkar, and the Tigers have even tried a combination of Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Sabbir Rahman in recent games, but it did not go well.

Soumya and Shanto batted first in the last two T20 Internationals, although Miraz batted first with Shanto in the practice game last week.

Soumya and Shanto spent a lengthy time at the center wicket as openers during Sunday's practice session, and it appears like they will open the innings on Monday. It remains to be unclear who will eventually open the innings.

The Tigers might go with three pacers Taskin Ahmed, Mosatafizur Rahman and either of Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam - and two spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. - While the threat of rain is still looming large, Bangladesh Captain Shakib said that Tigers are looking forward to having great match against the pumped-up Netherlands who have done well in the first round of the World Cup.

"We had a very good preparation, The four matches in New Zealand (in the Tri-Series) will help us, especially here in Hobart where the weather is a little similar to Christchurch. So, everyone is ready and excited for the match tomorrow" Shakib said in the pre-match press meet. 

For the Netherlands, Bas de Leede, the right-arm pacer, has done well in the first round taking seven wickets in three matches. He can offer a tough challenge to the bigger teams in the Super 12s.

The match is scheduled to begin at 10am (Bangladesh time) tomorrow.

Now, if the weather permits, the match is going to be a good chance for Bangladesh who have been searching for a win in the Super 12s of T20 World Cups for a long time.